Michelle Obama Sends Heartfelt Praise To Angel Reese Amid Growing Popularity

The WNBA is entering a new era in which the commissioner is eyeing the global dream and expanding the league’s wings. Young stars, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, along with the vets like Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart, contributed heavily to this rise and subsequent expansion dreams.

Among these stars, there are very few players who faced extreme love and criticism like Clark and Reese. The duo has a massive following and an equal amount of criticism, too. In her recent interaction with Reese’s, former First lady Michelle Obama touched on the topic and praised the Dream Forward.

Michelle Obama With High Praise For Angel Reese

The WNBA stats showed a massive surge in viewership, sponsorship, and sales during the 2024 season, and that surge has continued to impact league operations since then. While Clark and Reese led the 2024 draft, which attracted both praise and criticism from fans, and even from the league.

During her interview with the WNBA star at IMO Podcast, Mitchell Obama spoke on the subject and lauded the 24-year-old star, saying, “You’re handling yourself beautifully.I mean, it’s not just what you do, but the way you carry yourself, girl. I mean its really a joy to watch you manage it all. And you do it with a smile on your face, with an excellent attitude.”

Michelle Obama to Angel Reese:
“You are handling yourself beautifully. It’s not just what you do, it’s the way you carry yourself”❤️ pic.twitter.com/62yjcRMVff

— Angel Report🌹 (@AngelReportt) April 22, 2026

The former LSU star also felt overwhelmed with the praise and thanked the former first lady. While the player had been a ‘double-double’ machine on the floor, she, through her Reese foundation, had done a number of philanthropic works, helping the needy. Recently, the player partnered with the 2K Foundation to launch a six-week STEM Activity to empower women in the Baltimore region.

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While that’s the positive side of her popularity and fame, the player also faced high criticism for part of her gameplay and was even the target of trolls. Instead of arguing with those trolls, she smartly used those trolls as a business opportunity and thrived in it, too. Veteran star Breanna Stewart also praised Reese for handling the situations well in the WNBA. But it was never easy to balance both, and the player also opened up the early struggles.

Angel Reese Talks About Difficulties In Handling Fame And Finances At A Young Age

While the new CBA allowed players to earn in the six figures, the 6-foot-3 forward had been at the top of the earnings list since her college days, with massive NIL deals. Recently, she opened up on the issues she faced with those ‘new responsibilities’.

“I got money so fast I didn’t know what to do with it. I was like, ‘Oh sh-t, I’m a millionaire at 20?’ They do not teach you how to file taxes at school. My grandmother would tell me to save money for a rainy day, but really, I’m the first in my family to have this kind of financial freedom,” Reese said.

Angel Reese has more NIL deals than any other D-I basketball player in the country.

Reese has LSU chasing a national title — while pushing her off-court earning potential towards $400K.https://t.co/u2jleht91H

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 31, 2023

Early bloomers might fall apart quickly, but the former Sky star managed to keep her head in the right place and is now an idol for many young stars.